Alexa wasn’t religious, but she had heard the saying in passing that money was the root of all evil.

She felt it was a stupid statement, because how can something so vital for survival be evil? she just did not understand it.

But she would, soon.

She did not know how much time passed as she stayed by the door, her cold hands hugging her knees while tears streamed down her cheeks.

Alexa hated it when she cried, it was a constant reminder that she was breakable. Weak. Human.

The last time she cried, it was a year ago, when she begged Carl to give her the job.

The pay was meager at best, but it sustained her. It helped her survive.

But now… that was not enough to guarantee her survival.

Now, her days were numbered. And she had started counting down the moment he walked out the door.

Three months.

That was her final grace.

She chuckled darkly as she wiped her tears. How foolish of her to think she could escape him. That she could run away.

She thought she could inherit that trait from her father, be as skilled as he was in running away.

But that was something only he could do, apparently.

“That fucking bastard.” She swore under her breath as she thought about him, which she rarely did these days.

She stopped hoping that he’d come back years ago. And soon enough, she stopped thinking about him.

Anytime she thought of her childhood, she barely remembered the good times, when her family felt whole. Perfect.

Until her mother died.

Everything after that was a bloody shit show.

And she hated that she remembered every single thing. Every single time he hurt her. Every single time he disappointed her.

Over and over and over again.

Till she got used to it.

But now was not the time to think about her father’s incompetence as a good parent.

Now, she had to think of ways to survive.

She finally got up from the floor, her legs cramping slightly as she stood.

Her eyes met the window, it was already dark outside.

She didn’t know she had been sitting there for that long, but it was necessary.

What if he came back? What if he came while she was asleep? When her guard was down? What will become of her?

From the little she knew of him, it was clear he was a man of his word. If she tried to escape him, he would keep his promise.

She laid on the couch, making sure her eyes were on the door.

Even though she stood no fighting chance against him, she at least wanted to be prepared. Alert.

This feeling was not new to her.

To be alert. To be present at all times, her guard never faltering. Because the moment she looked away and let her guard down… she’d become easy prey.

Her eyes began to grow heavy, then she blinked and all of a sudden, it was morning.

She jerked up from the couch and scanned the cubicle apartment– there was no sign of him. But her heart was not at ease.

She took slow careful steps towards the bathroom, and as her fingers wrapped round the rusty knob, she took a deep breath and threw it open.

Her heartbeat slowed to a calm. He wasn’t here. She was safe.

But it was only momentary.

She had to resume her search for a job as soon as possible. She had no time to lose.

She took off her clothes immediately and rushed into the shower.

In about ten minutes, she stepped out, going straight to her suitcase to pick out something that screamed “I am responsible, please hire me. Please.”

After some minutes, she settled for a pair of navy blue pants and a black blouse, paired with her signature flats.

She looked in the mirror for a moment to pack her hair up. She didn’t like leaving it down, even though many women would envy light brown waist length wavy hair as hers.

But she didn’t care, and there was only one reason she hadn’t chopped the hair off…

She smiled wistfully as the memory crossed her mind, one she cherished with all her heart, one she would never forget till she died.

When she was done, she picked up her black velvet cross bag and left the apartment, not before making sure her pocket knife was in her bag.

As she rushed down the stairs, she checked her phone for the time– it was 11a.m. Carl would definitely be on seat.

Today was her pay day, and she needed every cent she could get.

By the time she got there, there were few people there, unlike last night.

The club served as a diner in the day, and a whore house at night.

Last night was unlike any other, in a good and bad way.

At least she was spared the sanity depreciating sight of people exchanging bodily fluids in the most provocative ways one could imagine.

She went straight to his office, knocking on the door three times before he responded, “Who the fuck is that??”

She rolled her eyes and she opened the door. As she walked in, she was immediately hit the the stench of sweat and something else she didn’t want to imagine.

From behind his desk, he looked up from his phone, and eyed her for a moment, before turning back to it, clicking away at the screen.

“Talk quickly, I’m busy.” He said, irritation coating his words.

She didn’t blame him. If she was born and cursed to live in such a disgusting body as his, she’d be irritated too.

“I came for my pay, it’s due today so-“ before she could finish, he began to laugh.

Alexa did not understand what she said that was so funny. Maybe she missed the joke.

“Your pay?? After insulting my biggest customer?? You have the guts to ask for money??”

“Carl, I didn’t insult hi-“

He cut her off as he rose from his chair, banging the desk with his fist “You shut the fuck up when I’m speaking!!” He yelled, making her flinch slightly, “I only pay my staff, and the moment you left the club yesterday during your shift, you lost this job.”

No. It couldnt be.

Not today.

Not today.

“Please Carl, I need this job, please don’t do this.” She pleaded

“Well you should have thought about that before disrespecting me and my customer! Now get the fuck out of my office!” He spat, then sat down and turned back to his phone, like he didn’t just ruin her life even more.

“At least pay me for the hours I’ve worked this month.” She said, grasping for whatever straws she could find.

Then he looked up, and with a disgusting smirk he said, “if you want the money so bad, make me happy, just like Lilly does.”

Something ticked in Alexa’s brain, like a switch turned off.

And with that, he dug his own grave.